Real Housewives of Australia?

Putting the REAL back in reality TV

So they’ve just announced they’re going to make a Real Housewives of Australia. I’m not sure this is going to be a winner. Here’s why:

Australia is a large country geographically, but it’s very small population wise. People are worried about what their neighbours think. Here in the US, with a population of almost 300 million, people feel like they can go on Jerry Springer or Maury, look like total asshats, and its ok. They can just blend in to the huge population. With 300 channels, chances are unless Joel McHale sees it and makes fun of it on The Soup, nobody is going to see it anyway.

In the mornings, when I get ready for work, I like to put on VH1 and have the video clips running. When I get home and turn the TV on, there’s some shite show about Basketball Wives LA. It’s total crap. Most of the Real Housewives are too. It’s supposed to be reality, but it’s not. You can tell the producers are putting the women, who probably would never have met without the show, into totally unrealistic situations, and then purposely creating conflict, just for some drama. There’s always one person who the rest of the wives don’t consider rich enough, on the Atlanta version they’re all black except for the token white wife, who they all hate. Each series has one designated bad guy. I like to refer to them as the “Scott Disick” of each show . They may be perfectly nice, but they’re edited to look like total fuckwits.

Currently, on VH1’s Couples Therapy, which is a reality show about, funnily enough, Couples Therapy, they have one of the wives from Real Housewives from New York. She’s married to an Australian guy. They used to really like each other. Too much for the rest of the housewives… Now they’re in therapy trying to stay together. One of thee husbands on Real Housewives LA was painted to be such a dick, he killed himself. Now here’s where I see Australia is going to be different. Look at shows that are already in both countries, like Celebrity Apprentice.

The US version on Celebrity Apprentice is fiery. The celebs are loud and proud. They’re bold, and willing to fight. They’re all about making good TV while raising millions of dollars for their charities. Doing a show like Apprentice also gives their careers a boost. Whether they come across as nice, or total dicks, people get to know them. They get to be real for the camera. They might ham it up a little, but they’re not holding back. They’re comfortable with who they are. They know if they’re on Apprentice, they’re already famous and will keep getting work.

The Australian version was tame by comparison. Aussie celebs work in a much smaller industry. They’re very worried about their “brand”. I can’t remember how many times I heard that during the series. People who kept saying they were worried about their brand. That’s so boring. A person shouldn’t be a brand. A person should be a person. That’s why even though everyone hated Deni Hines, they loved her, cause she was real. She didn’t care about putting on a fake persona for the cameras. She just let it out. She would have been great on the US version. Vince on the other hand was totally boring. He didn’t make a single joke the whole time he was on there. Isn’t he a comedian? He wasn’t funny. He wasn’t anything. He was just blah. I loved Charlotte Dawson. She let loose. Julia Morris deserved to win the first season. She was everything a reality TV person should be. She didn’t ham it up for the cameras. She didn’t act like a bitch to create drama. She was just herself. She’s obviously a very nice person, and we got to see that. She won by being herself. It was great. Same with Dicko. He was the most real, and he won too.

When people watch shows with celebs, they want to get to see a different side of that person. They want to know who they really are. They want to see who that person is when they’re not playing a character, or doing a carefully presented interview. They want to get to know a person. Reality TV, when done right, is a great way for an audience to really get to know someone. If however, as a celebrity, you’re worried about your brand, or you feel the need to keep up an appearance on camera, then you shouldn’t do reality TV. It’s not real. More importantly, if you feel like you can’t show who you really are on TV because people may not like you, then you’ve got bigger problems. Maybe you need to go away for a bit and change yourself for real.

I got asked about doing the first season of Apprentice. My people didn’t think it was a good idea at the time, with the case still in the works. I swear like a sailor, I don’t censor myself, and I let them know I would be in it to win it. I didn’t care about “my brand”. I don’t have one. I’ve lived in America long enough, I wouldn’t be all sweet and fake on reality TV. I don’t care what people think about me. I’m comfortable with who I am as a person. I like me, my friends like me. That’s all that matters. What some random on the interwebs thinks about me doesn’t affect how I carry myself in interviews or while out in public. I wish more people who were asked to do reality TV would have the same attitude.

So, I hope while casting the Real Housewives of Australia, or any other reality shows in Oz, they try to find people who are willing to be themselves. People who aren’t going to become a character for the cameras. People who won’t self censor. People who are interesting because they just are, not because they try to be.

November 8, 2012

Witch Hunt or Fourth Estate?

Media Coverage of Child Abuse

This week I’ve noticed there’s a lot of coverage of child abuse cases. While the fact that so many kids are being abused makes me sad, I’m thrilled that it’s now making front page news. Over the last couple of years, it’s become more and more acceptable to talk about it, to cover it. To acknowledge that it happens.

We’ve come a long way in the last 2.5 years. When I went public with my story, people were furious. He wasn’t named, and I was told to name and shame or STFU. Then, he was named, and people were furious. Couldn’t win either way. At least he’s alive to defend himself…. (Looking forward to that!) The last few weeks, nobody seems to have any problem with Jimmy Savile being named, even though he’s dead and can’t refute the claims. I wonder if people are ok with it because we’ve come that far in the last couple years we now actually believe girls when they speak up, or if it’s because he’s just so obviously creepy there’s no doubt, or if it’s because he’s dead and doesn’t have to live with a possible tarnished rep.

No matter, I’m thrilled to see the media covering abuse. I’m so glad I was a part of that. I hope there’s lots more cases where people can use that medium to get justice, when they’re not being listened to in other avenues. I don’t think it needs to be just famous people either. Regular people should have the ability to be heard too. People might call it a media witch hunt, but if nobody will listen to you, or worse, it’s getting repeatedly swept under the carpet, the media can be an important tool. When you’ve been silenced for so long, seeing your words everywhere can be very powerful and healing.

Plus, I bet if a kid told their predator they were going to tell not only their parents, but the newspaper, it’d stop pretty quick….

November 8, 2012

Bravehearts’ Child Safety Initiative

Bravehearts’ Child Safety Initiative to Reach all Aussie Kids

Bravehearts’ breakthrough safety initiative Ditto in a Box will reach and educate all Australian kids about the dangers of sexual assault.

The Ditto in a Box education pack teaches personal safety skills and underpins children’s instinctive understandings and feelings around their personal safety in a way that is non-confronting, safe and highly effective.

Stephens College at Coomera became the first school in Australia to implement the education pack into its program with the assistance of Rob Molhoek, Assistant Minister for Child Safety and Member for Southport; and Detective Superintendent Cameron Harsley, Child Safety Director at Queensland Police Service. Also present were Bert van Manen MP, Federal Member for Forde and The Member for Albert, Mark Boothman MP, students, teachers – and Ditto.

Developed to complement the Personal and Social Capability Criteria of the Australian National Curriculum Version 3.0, it is focused on providing children with protective factors to build resiliency and empower them when faced with unsafe situations.

The age appropriate personal safety program was created to meet soaring demand from schools and early learning centres around the country for the popular Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure show, which will soon reach its 250,000^th child.

Since its first Australian school show in Brisbane six years ago, the Ditto live show has expanded and now delivers shows across nine regional areas in four States (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania).

Bravehearts faced a challenge of how to address the growing waiting list of schools and childcare centres eager to get access to the show. It sparked the idea for Ditto in a Box – an education pack that contains five teaching modules on safety as well as warning signs, scenario cards, music and storybooks.

Bravehearts Founder and Executive Director Hetty Johnston, said as part of the vision to make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child, it was critical to provide a personal safety program which educates, empowers and protects our most vulnerable.

“There are thousands of kids Australia-wide in remote locations who cannot get access to Bravehearts’ live safety program featuring the lovable Ditto,” she said.

“It’s not fair that thousands of kids miss out because we don’t have the resources to reach them all. Hopefully that’s about to change and we expect a big take-up of Ditto in a Box, which will deliver our safety message to schools everywhere.

“This benefits kids that have seen the live show too as it aims to support and reinforce the messages they have learned there.”

November 6, 2012November 6, 2012

Ice Loves Coco

My new fav reality show – Ice Loves Coco

Ok, I’ve never hidden the fact that I love trashy reality TV. After a long day of serious work, sometimes it’s nice to just come home and switch off. At first I watched the Kardashians cause I was trying to work out why they were worthy of having their own reality show. I haven’t gotten into any of the MTV shows, like Jersey Shore or the ones about teenage mothers. I’m into switching off, not going into a coma….

I’ve watched Married to Jonas, and it’s interesting to see a girl who obviously loves her man, but really isn’t prepared for living the life of a musician’s wife. It’s obvious she’s not a gold digger, but I do think she’d like the nice life without him having to ever leave the house. It’ll be interesting to see whether they work out. I hope they do. It’s so nice to see a girl who loves her man for him, not what he does, but if she doesn’t toughen up, it’s just not going to work.

Then there’s Ice Loves Coco. Here’s a couple that are going to work. Her body may be fake, but her personality isn’t. She’s open and out there and looks like she’s totally comfortable with who she is. She’s also totally supportive of Ice. In return, he’s totally and utterly whipped by her. He’s what every woman wants in her man. He loves her. He loves her curves. He loves her personality. He loves her quirks. He is always right there beside her, building her up. He admits she makes his life easy and takes total care off him and he’s lost without her. They’re total best friends. They’re the ideal couple.

I think I love Ice Loves Coco for two reasons.

I love that there’s a reality show that’s positive. Yes, they’re quirky and they do some weird stuff. However, there’s no drama. There’s no cattiness. They don’t look like they’re making shit up just for ratings. They don’t fake fight to make it interesting. It’s so refreshing to see a show that just lets people like each other. Every other show, whether it’s set in a pawn shop or catching fish creates so much drama. I have enough of that in my life without watching grown ups yell at each other over petty shit. Ice Loves Coco shows that people can just be nice to each other and still be interesting. We could all use a bit of niceness in our life.

The second reason I love them is because they remind me of Matt and I. This month, on Thanksgiving Day we’ll have been married for 10 years. I will truly have a lot to be thankful for. Matt is my best friend. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. He’s always there for me. He loves me, flaws and all. He never cared about who I used to be, what my weight is, or anything else others obsess over. He helped me grow as a person and become comfortable in my skin. He empowers me to be what ever I want to be. He’s everything a girl wants in a boy.

While spending so much time away from home for work, Ice Loves Coco lets me enjoy a little bit of the perfect relationship I have with my own man.

Do you have a favourite guilty please reality show? Is it something like the Kardashians cause you have a big family, or no family and wish you did, or do you love those singing or cooking shows cause you secretly wish you could also sing or cook? What’s your guilty pleasure?

October 31, 2012

How to catch a Predator

Why we need better tracking of Pedophiles

There was an interesting article on news.com.au today about Jimmy Savile. Most of it seemed to repeat a lot of my rant from yesterday. There was one particular paragraph that really stood out to me though:

Youngsters made several complaints to police over the years, none of which led to charges. The chief of London’s Metropolitan Police, Bernard Hogan-Howe, has apologised, saying police failed to piece together Savile’s “pattern of behaviour” from the disparate complaints.

How many different cases now have we heard of kids reporting something to the police, only to have it brushed over as not significant, or worse, buried on purpose, and then other kids going to the police, having the same thing happen, and then finally something explodes and somebody finally pays attention? Then, there’s no denying there was a pattern of abuse. There was a definite MO. That maybe if somebody had listened the first time the kids spoke up, that other kids might not have been abused.

In the US, the system is screwed up. I know, I work in an Intel Office. I see first hand that an area may be covered by a Police Dept, a Sheriff Dept, a few different Federal agencies, and these guys don’t share very much information between themselves. Something could be reported to the Police, and the next time it gets reported to the Sheriff. Until it hits further up the chain, somebody may not connect all the dots…. But, that’s why they have Intel centers. Everyone sends in their reports, they get looked over, put into a map, sent up to analysts, and also re-distributed back down to the field, where boots on ground can also see what’s going on in their area. It may be an analyst that sees a pattern, it may be someone like me putting it into the system, or it may be a cop reading my weekly paper that sees something of interest. They can see a pattern. We might notice the same name popping up again and again, even if it is for small stuff. Or it may not be a person, but it’s the same incident, over and over.

Now, I have no clue what kind of system England has, and I’m not going to pretend I do. I’ve never worked in a law enforcement setting in Australia either, but I do know each State has ONE Police Dept, and then there’s the Australia Federal Police, who are more like the FBI. So I’m sure there’s not quite as much red-tape on sharing information between different agencies. So how hard would it be for someone to set up some kind of database that tracks complaints on sex offenders? Not just on kids, but all sex offenders. It could be a completely internal system, that’s not shared with anyone else. But my suggestion would be that anytime a complaint is made, that the whole complaint and the name of the offender is put into the system. Then, anytime a new complaint is made, the system could be searched to see if that person is in there already. Even if you only have 2 complaints, if the MO is similar, and chances are good that the kids didn’t collude, you can assume there’s something going on. The person could be investigated further, not just dumped into a pile of “not enough evidence”. If you’ve got 2 people telling you about the one person, you’ve not got a pattern, and evidence.

Maybe there already is a system in place in Australia like this, and I just don’t know about it. But it seems like there’s lots of cases where multiple kids have been to the cops about a person, but nobody connected the dots till somebody went public….

Now, after the person has been convicted, they need to go on a public sex offender register. Then normal civilians can look at it and see if the nice neighbour offering to babysit their kids is a genuinely being nice, or if they’re just trying to access their kids….

October 30, 2012October 30, 2012

Creating our own monsters

What happens when you make someone untouchable?

Tomorrow is Halloween in the US. Its a time when all the networks show scary movies. People dress up as ghouls and goblins and other frightening fare. The last couple years outfits like Priests with altar boys attached have started surfacing….

Hollywood makes lots of scary characters. Untouchable demons. Hideous creatures that terrify children. I was most afraid of Stephen Kings It. I couldn’t walk over a storm drain for years and had a fear of clowns. Years later, I watched It again. It was cheesy and no longer terrifying, but I could see what scared me. The undercurrent of predation on small children.

stephen-king-it-tim-curry — It talking to kids from the storm drain

FreddyKrueger2010 — Freddy Krueger. Wes Craven thought a child molester was scarier than a child killer...

A couple years ago, they remade the Freddy Krueger movies. We went to see it at the cinema right after I went public. I didn’t know that Wes Craven had changed Freddy from being a child molester to a pedophile. It was very weird watching it while going through all the hoopla. It was very emotional. Wes said when he originally wrote the films, Freddy was meant to be a pedophile, but the studio didn’t like it, as there was a series of high profile cases of molestation at the time. When they re-did it, he made it the way he wanted it, saying that a child molester was the worst thing he could think of.

But what happens when studios create real life monsters? Or when society lets people develop into an untouchable persona?

People wonder how it can be that people like Jerry Sandusky or Jimmy Savile could have molested so many kids and gotten away with it for so long. The problem is, as a society, we’ve created these monsters. We’ve allowed them to operate untouched. We’ve given them access to our kids and let them know it was OK for them to do it.

r-JERRY-SANDUSKY-large570 — Jerry Sandusky. People knew he was raping young boys, but he was still untouchable.

Look at Sandusky. He was in football. He was built up to be this greater than life human. When someone stepped up to say maybe he wasn’t so great, they were hushed. They were told not to rock the legacy. Which just made him even more powerful. It gave him a power trip to know he could get away with it.

Jimmy Savile was some creepy looking dude with bad teeth. The studios built him up to be an icon. Along the way, as he was molesting girls, anyone who dared speak up was shut down. They were told he’s Jimmy Savile. That’s just part of his persona. Which just made him even more untouchable.

Roman Polaski raped a young girl. Violently. He was

supposed to do time, but then fled the country. However, all these useless Hollyweird types keep insisting he should be forgiven because he’s an artiste.

There’s another guy called Victor Salva. He was sent to prison because he’d been busted filming himself during acts of oral sex and rape with a 12 year old boy, but he was allowed to work with kids again, making movies like Powder, for Disney. Yes, the same Disney that’s aimed at kids and has a whole spate of pedophile rumors swirling around them.

Outside of Hollywood, society does the same thing. Instead of cutting someone down while the allegations are fresh and before a person becomes untouchable, we build people up to become nightmares. People won’t dare question a priest who spends extra time with kids. Boy Scout leaders are just doing their best for their troops. Soccer coaches are just paying extra attention to the gifted kids. If the pedo is also into charity, like Sandusky or Savile, they’re built into Sainthood. You can’t speak out because you’ll be responsible for that charity not getting any money. Which the pedo works out is another great tool to blackmail his victims into not talking.

We need to stop canonizing Pedophiles. We need to stop thinking it’s ok for someone to be touching kids because they do good things for other kids. They’re not helping kids. They’re using them as a cover to get to kids.

People were so scared of Jimmy Savile that the full story didn’t come out till after he was dead. Meanwhile, he’d become such a larger than life figure that he’s gotten a medal from the Queen. People knew he was raping young girls and they kept it quiet because they didn’t want to ruin his image.

Jerry Sandusky was raping children in the showers and in his basement. But he was helping kids become footballers.

gary_glitter — Gary Glitter. Once a pop star to being arrested on child porn and molestation charges.

What the fuck is wrong with people? How about we start outing people before they get to that point where people are scared shitless to say anything against them. How about we not empower these predators?

Why don’t we stop watching films made by filthy scum like Roman Polanski? I don’t give a shit if he directs films. Give me a loud speaker and a crew and I’ll direct a film. I promise I won’t rape anyone while I do it.

What scares me the most in all these cases that are coming out is just how many people knew what was going on. So many people were aware of allegations, or had witnessed the abuse firsthand. So many people who were in positions where they could have said something. They could have put a stop to it. All these people were intimidated, and only contributed to making the pedophile and even bigger monster. They turned them into real life Freddy Kruegers.

October 29, 2012

Mr. Snuffleupagus

Snuffy, or the big hairy elephant in the room…

Remember Sesame Street? It’s all over the news now again thanks to the Presidential Elections. I was at Starbucks the other day, and the lady in front of me in line was making a reference to Sesame Street and Big Bird. Then she said something about Snuffy being invisible. I pointed out that they made him visible to the adults in the end. She said really, Why? I said it was something to do with the producers of the show wanting him to be visible because they were worried about pedophilia and kids not being believed. She said that sounded silly, and that pedophilia wasn’t that big a deal. Certainly not big enough to make a whole change on the show. I wanted to point out that it was probably a big deal to the 1 in 5 kids that’s a victim of child abuse, but instead I just grabbed my latte and thought about how little people care about issues that affect so many people. How swept under the carpet that child abuse is. How so many people just think because it didn’t hapen to them, that it’s not a big deal. About how basic human rights are like oxygen, it’s not a big deal until you’re not getting any.

As a kid, all the campaigns were focused on “Stranger Danger”. Kids were taught not to accept lollies from creepy men in cars. We shouldn’t talk to men in trenchcoats in the park. We shouldn’t believe someone who says Mum or Dad came to pick us up. They never taught kids what to do when someone in the own family was the creepy man hurting them… Nobody wants to face the fact that someone in their own family may be an abuser. People will just say, Oh don’t worry anout Uncle Fred. He’s just affectionate. Uncle Tom is just a bit handsy. Uncle Peter just likes to play tickle games. Kids aren’t told that when they go to family functions they have the option of NOT hugging their Uncle, or their cousin, or that family friend they don’t like for some reason. They’re told to sit on their lap for a family photo. When a child protests, they’re passed off as being grunpy or silly. The adults don’t want to listen. Which teaches the kids that the adults are allowed to do whatever they want to them. Because the adults don’t want to believe, and even if they do, it’s not polite to say anything. Which just makes the abuser bolder, while making the kids weaker.

TWO out of three child abuse survivors who contacted a helpline were harmed by a member of their immediate family, with just 2 per cent hurt by a stranger, research shows. A further one in four victims was harmed by a member of their extended family, one in eight by a family friend and one in 10 by a member of a religious group. Teachers were responsible for 5 per cent of child abuse, the research found. It is estimated between four and five million Australian adults are survivors of childhood trauma. Here’s the link to the News.com.au article.

It’s time that the Stranger Danger campaigns were swapped for a more realistic one. We also need to be teaching adults and not just kids. We need to teach adults that if a child is trying to tell them that they aren’t comfortable around an adult, that maybe there’s a reason for that. Maybe they just get a quirky feeling from them, just like we as adults get a bad vibe from people. However, if a kid doesn’t want to hug that person, or sit on their lap, it’s important that we don’t force them to. Tell them it’s OK. Teach them that their body is theirs, and nobody has the right to be in their personal space. If you don’t like that creepy uncle who refuses to shake your hand and insists on hugging you, even when you’ve made it clear you don’t like it, why is it then OK to allow a kid to have their personal space invaded in the same way? If your kids suddenly start hating going to Grandpa’s, or they decide they don’t like going to Boy Scouts, ask them why. Listen. Use your insticts. Don’t just ignore the issue because “it’s not polite” to say no to a hug. Don’t just ignore that someone is being innapropriate with your kids because you just don’t want to face reality. Too many adults just ignore the whole issue because “it’s messy”. Too many kids who were abused grow up and just let it happen to the next generation because they survived it, so it must just be a part of life, and their kids will survive it too. Or worse, they’ve just put themselves in such a state of denial, that just like Snuffy, who Big Bird insisted was there for 17 seasons, was not seen, because the adults just chose not to see him. They saw the effects of Snuffy, and kept blaming it on other things, or using the Snuffy excuse as a scapegoat. Finally though, Big Bird worked out how to get the adults to see that Snuffy was real. Finally the adults believed in Snuffy. Believe in Snuffy. He’s real, and so is child absue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Snuffleupagus

September 15, 2012September 15, 2012

Is there no Aussie Talent?

Is there no Aussie Talent, or does Tall Poppy Syndrome mean Aussie’s need a foreigner to validate them?

Keith Urban has announced he is leaving The Voice Australia and it looks like he will be heading to American Idol. Who can blame the guy? He’ll probably earn about 20 times more on a US show than he would in Australia. He’s also at home in the US, since until The Voice, he was probably much more famous in the US than he was in Australia. He’s had a home in Nashville for many, many years. He was a household name, he’s well liked and respected. Until The Voice, the poor guy was better known as Mrs Nicole Kidman by people in his home country. The Voice gave Australia a great opportunity to get to know Keith. To know his music, to know him as a person. Keith finally got to feel some love from Australians. He finally had a hit in Australia.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if Australian producers gave that same opportunity to another Australian artist?

The Australian psyche is complex. They like the “Little Aussie Battler”. They like the underdog. They like people who are almost famous. But as soon as that person becomes successful, they’re suddenly too big for their boots. They’re ostracized. They’re no longer loved. Then, feeling like they’re no longer welcome by Australia, that person will move overseas and climb the ladder again. While they’re doing it, that person is a “sell out”. Then, when they make it big overseas, all of a sudden, they’re once again LOVED by Australians. All of a sudden, they’re one of ours. They’re making Australia proud. They’re representing! Remember Kylie Minogue in the early 1990’s when she won 4 Logies? It was like overnight, people hated her. There was such a backlash. Then, she went overseas and made it huge in England. She made an impression in the US too. Then, she was a huge hit with Aussie’s and everyone wanted to claim her as their own.

I am also amused by the people who aren’t born in Australia but grew up there, who then move overseas. Think Russell Crowe. When he fucks up, he’s a damn Kiwi. When he’s winning an Oscar, he’s an Awesome Aussie. Actually, Keith Urban was also born in New Zealand…

australias-got-talent Then, we’ve also got an obsession with needing to be validated by Stars from overseas. Can you think of a Logies that didn’t have some international guest? Even for the races like the Melbourne Cup, or something as mundane as a Nightclub opening, they’re flying in some special guest from overseas. Even Excess Baggage had Kevin Federline. Seriously people, how bad is it when you’re importing Kevin Federline? Even if they do fly in an Aussie, they treat them differently. Fly in an American, well, they get a first class ticket. Flying in an Aussie, they get coach… Why the need to roll out the red carpet for foreigners, but not for your own?

The X-Factor has Mel B and Ronan Keating. The Voice has Seal and Joel Madden. Australia’s Got Talent has Brian McFadden. Even that Everybody Dance Now had Jason Derulo & Kelly Rowland. Maybe that one would have lasted longer if they had at least one Aussie on there….

Ok, it’s a global world now and people move around and work in other countries. But it seems like each show is only half Australian talent and half guest worker. Now that Keith is leaving, the names they’re throwing out there are ALL foreigners. Is there seriously no-one in Australia that could take his place? Is there no Aussie singer who wouldn’t be fabulous as a judge/coach? Is there not an Aussie who could step up? Even if you did like they did with Keith Urban, and brought an Aussie back from overseas to work on the show. Let Australia get re-acquainted with an old friend. Let someone who had moved overseas to be successful come home and feel the love.

Australians need to let go of the Tall Poppy Syndrome, and start showing some love for one of their own. Australians are talented. They have personality. They’re quite capable of being a judge or a host on an Australian show. I hope they pick another Aussie host for The Voice. I hope as people leave these shows, they start filling their places with other Aussie’s too.